A 70-year-old Watford woman has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting multiple fraud offences and claiming more than £40,000 in benefits she was not entitled to.

Bushra Begum and her daughter Tabassum falsely claimed more than £200,000 from Watford Borough Council and the Department of Work and Pensions.

Bushra, of Rose Gardens, had 21 different bank accounts by February 4, 2013.

Bushra was overpaid £6,602 in Pension Credit from the Department of Work and Pensions from January 1, 2007, to February 24, 2013.

She was overpaid £27,568 in Housing Benefit from January 8, 2007, to March 25, 2013, and £8,496 in Council Tax Benefit from January 8, 2007, to April 4, 2013.

In total she claimed £42,666 in benefits that she was not entitled to, due to her concealing her true circumstances.

She appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, June 26, and was sentenced to an 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.

Bushra pleaded guilty to four charges of dishonest representation for obtaining benefit on Monday, April 27.

He daughter Tabassum Begum, 41, who pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and one count of fraud at St Albans Crown Court on Monday, April 13, had her sentencing adjourned until Thursday, July 30.

Tabassum had 79 different accounts in a variety of names and had amassed £156,112 by May 30, 2011.

She was overpaid £34,537 in Housing Benefit and £10,875 in Council Tax Benefit by Watford Borough Council.

Meanwhile, the Department for Work and Pensions overpaid her £80,395 in Income Support.

She claimed these three benefits - gaining a total of £125,809 - between July 2003 and July 2012, despite having too much money to be entitled to them.

Tabassum moved from Whippendell Road to Chesham Way, where she currently lives, during that period.